COFFEE PLANTERS’ MANUAL. 43 
ing—and so he goes on filling his cooty-sack and 
~emptying it into the large bag till he has got his two 
-bushels—the day’s task when an estate is in full pick- 
ing. But 14 bushel, 1 bushel, #? and even 4 have 
sometimes to be put up with, when crop is either 
not fully ripe, or when it is very light on the trees. 
The superintendent must judge of the quantity to 
be fixed as the day’s task by the state of his crop. 
He will soon know what the laborers can gather and 
~will fix the task accordingly. It is well always to 
-do this work by task rather than for day’s pay. It 
-stimulates good pickers to extra exertions, by which 
they gain extra pay, and it coerces the sluggish into 
full work: for there are great opportunities at this 
work to loiter between the rows or around a large 
iree. When in full picking, a good hand will some- 
times bring in an extra bushel, or even two: and, 
when he does this, his pay rises in proportion. So, 
cas it is an interesting time to the master, it is also 
a profitable time for the active laborer on an estate. 
A common plan is to’ give ready money for the extra 
-bushel, This, which the coolies call kai kasi, greatly 
stimulates exertion, and is much liked by them. 
‘There is, however, the danger, that by placing too 
“much money in the cooly’s hands he will become 
idle while it lasts and shirk work: for, although 
-coolies are expected to turn out to work every work- 
ing day and are paid accordingly at the month’s end 
for every day they have worked, there is no slavery 
here, laborers being treated like free laborers at home 
-or elsewhere, and they have many opportunities of 
leading illness or absenting themselves from work 
~beyond the master’s utmost vigilance to prevent. It 
is better ther fore to give them tickets for these extra 
‘bushels, retiring them eon pay-day or at the end of 
-erop. This precaution is necessary, for the double 
reason that seldom has an estate when in bearing 
‘more coolies than it requires during crop-time, and 
therefore it cannot afford to have any off-work where 
avoidable ; and 2ndly, because Ramaswami with money 
in hand is prone to be off to the villages or nearest 
“town to spend it, never allowing master’s necessity to 
interfere with his pleasure or convenience; or in fact 
taking the trouble to think that bis acting thus 
-causes his employer frequently heavy loss; for labor 
-at that critical time is generally in such demand that 
it can neither be hired nor borrowed. There is less 
danger in the practice now very common of paying 
ready cash at the rate of a penny when the second 
heaped bushel is brought in, as this requires time to 
-accumulate to a sufficient extent to draw the cooly 
-off the estate, while it gives him a little ready 
